Senior Projects Officer

We are searching for an experienced Senior Projects Officer at our Accra facility. 

About Palladium:
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,200 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. 

This Opportunity:
Palladium is hiring a Senior Projects Officer, West Africa to join a team working on a global sustainable land-use programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that is due to launch in early 2025.
The Senior Projects Officer will be responsible for identifying, assessing, developing, and managing investable projects and investees on Forest Partnerships, Demand Side Measures and Enabling Conditions and contribute to the delivery of the programme objectives, outcomes and deliverables. The role will work closely with the Regional Director, Regional Manager, Project staff in WCA and key P4F program staff.

Location:
The position is based in Palladium’s Ghana Projects office.  

The role will report to the Regional Manager, West Africa, who is based in Accra.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Assist in the scoping, identification and development of forest partnership businesses that align with the programme strategy and results framework. 
Support in the preparation of a regional strategy and workplan to deliver against the programme’s global mandate.
Lead in origination and pipeline building of high potential forest partnership business ideas for the P4F West Africa portfolio,
Lead in the sourcing and assessment of innovative business models to identify the best opportunities for investment.
Support business plan development and identify capacity gaps at business level to accelerate promising businesses.
Deliver targeted technical assistance to forest partnership businesses to operationalise pilots and scaling.
Accelerate the development of projects for grants and Technical Assistance approval.
Conduct business analysis, develop factsheets that provide an overview of financial and technical updates of value chains that our partnerships are engaged in.
Lead in supporting the development of business plans with project partners to meet expected financial investment and traction from the private sector.
Ensure the quality of project concept notes for approval by the Regional Director and Internal Approval Committees and the Client.
Build and manage the relationship with forest partnership business owners and intervention promoters.
Accountable for delivering high quality and timely investment related regional project results against the programmes global results and outputs;
Responsible for preparing marketing and investment pitches to facilitate investment and market access.
Provide support and conduct regular monitoring visits to project sites for successful implementation of activities.
Contribute to strategic planning and reporting to meet regional priorities, milestones and outcomes and alignment with global program outcomes and client’s expectations.
Provide a range of project management support related to the projects, including due diligence, budgeting, monitoring and reporting, as well as contracting and procurement.
Assist regional work streams in generating FCDO, internal reports and updated project reports/updates
Frequent regional and domestic travel may be required, often at short notice and to insecure locations.  
Any other tasks requested by the Regional Manager and Director, West Africa

Required Qualifications:

Essential

6+ years of work experience in a high calibre environment, or of previous experience in similar work, funded by FCDO or other large organisation, including in a senior role;
Relevant experience in sustainability in markets and supply chains and in financial markets.
Experience working in agricultural or forest commodities associated with deforestation, such as palm oil, cocoa, timber products etc.
Good understanding of financial markets, investment instruments, financial modelling and analysis.
Experience in origination bankable business ideas and appraisal of agricultural or forest value chain business models for investment facility is desirable.
Experience in preparing business plans. 
Experience in market research and risk assessment.
Proven experience in applying quantitative, conceptual, and analytical problem-solving skills.
Experience in the land use or development sector is desirable, but not required.
Comfortable with significant client interaction and managing multiple partners.
Understand private sector investor mentality and needs to help shape projects and promote private sector investment in them.
Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
Experience in business development and strategy
Solid experience in delivering high quality results against tight deadlines;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;
Entrepreneurial, self-starter who enjoys working in a fast-paced, results-driven business environment.
Strong personal qualities, including integrity, results oriented, commitment to excellence, equality, openness, inclusiveness, collegiality and solving problems even in very difficult situations.

Good to have

MBA, or postgraduate qualification in Economics, Agribusiness, banking and finance, Forestry, or related discipline.Working proficiency in French. 


Fixed-Term

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.